Before the seven-day appointment came, something big happened in Kyoto.
On May 17th of the 25th year of Daxia, news came from the palace that the crown prince who served as regent had passed away!
When they heard the news, Shen Yuyao and Xia Xiaoxian were eating cherries in the garden.
“Cherries are delicious but difficult to grow.”
Just as Shen Yuyao finished speaking, she heard Tang Wei, who had hurried over, report, "Your Highness, the Princess of Ning, the Crown Prince has passed away."
When she first heard Tang Wei calling her "Empress", she was about to speak out to stop him, but she never expected that the second sentence Tang Wei said was so shocking.
The prince died?
The crown prince cultivated wholeheartedly by the emperor!
Although she had known that this day would come, Shen Yuyao still found it hard to believe when she heard it in reality.
She swayed slightly, her mind full of questions.
If she remembered correctly, she had learned this from Xia Xiaoxian's inner thoughts.
The current crown prince of the Great Xia Dynasty should have at least five years to live, so why did the news of his death suddenly come at this time?
A few months ago, news came from the subordinates of the East Factory.
The emperor planned to move the capital to Xijing, and secretly ordered the crown prince to visit Xijing City in disguise.
Firstly, it was to examine the merits and demerits of the King of Qin in the vassal state of Xijing, and secondly, it was to allow the Crown Prince to verify the possibility of moving the capital.
Judging from the date, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince should have completed his inspection and just returned to Kyoto.
Why did he die suddenly?
What is the connection between this matter and King Qin?
For a moment, Shen Yuyao was filled with shock and confusion.
"Has the information been verified?"
Shen Yuyao steadied herself and asked Tang Wei while gritting her teeth.
"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true!"
"I have already ordered several elite officers from the East Depot stationed in the palace to verify the authenticity of the news."
The news was so shocking that even though Tang Wei was used to big scenes, his voice couldn't help but tremble slightly at this moment.
"Prince...Prince Ning Xia Yu has been reinstated and re-ennobled as a vassal king."
"The Emperor has drafted an imperial decree, ordering Prince Ning Xia Yu to resume his vassalage and immediately depart for his vassal state. He is not allowed to return to the capital without an imperial decree!"
Tang Wei read out the contents of the imperial edict that the East Factory guards had found out to Shen Yuyao in a low voice without missing a word.
"Your Highness has been reinstated and has regained the title of Prince of Ning. You will immediately depart for Yanjing to serve as your vassal. You are not allowed to return to the capital without an imperial decree..."
Shen Yuyao repeated this sentence softly.
"Empress..." Tang Wei raised his head and looked at Shen Yuyao, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"Master Tang, you don't have to worry about it, but you can speak freely."
When Shen Yuyao saw Tang Wei's expression, she knew that there must be special arrangements for her in the emperor's edict.
"The subordinates of the East Factory in the palace secretly reported that the emperor added a special sentence in the imperial edict to restore the title of Prince Ning." There was a hint of reluctance in Tang Wei's expression.
"Did you add one about me?" Shen Yuyao asked.
"The Princess and Princess Xiaoxian will all have their previous titles and salaries restored. Prince Ning's eldest son, Xia Lin'an, will also be appointed Crown Prince of the Prince Ning's Palace... but..."
Tang Wei paused, "It's just that the Emperor ordered the Ning Wangfei to return to the Ning Wang Mansion in Kyoto with all her children. No one is allowed to accompany the Ning Wang to the vassal state."
A hint of mockery flashed in Shen Yuyao's eyes.
After the tragic loss of the crown prince, the emperor immediately restored Prince Ning's title, presumably fearing that the ensuing upheaval in the court would lead to instability on Daxia's borders.
He needed a brave and warlike son to guard the border for the Great Xia Dynasty.
As for why he left behind Shen Yuyao and Prince Ning's children, it was simply to hold them hostage in case Prince Ning did anything wrong.
Yes, the crown prince passed away and the throne was vacant, so anyone could make a move.
He was truly a decisive and ruthless founding monarch. Even when faced with such a huge change, he was still cautious and strategizing despite his grief.
"My Lord, has he already set off?"
Shen Yuyao smiled bitterly and continued to ask Tang Wei.
"According to my calculations, the prince should be in the palace receiving the imperial edict right now. I believe he will set off for Yanjing immediately afterwards." Tang Wei replied.
Fortunately, thanks to the East Factory founded by Xu Yunxuan, Shen Yuyao would indeed get news from the palace earlier than anyone else.
Shen Yuyao sighed and turned her gaze to Xia Xiaoxian beside her.
In her heart, it was still a little difficult to accept for a while.
Why did the crown prince, whom she had saved with Xu Yunxuan's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, suddenly die?
What kind of situation will the young son entrusted to her care by Sister Chang face?
Will the prince's concubine Anaki be innocently sent to be buried alive?
A series of questions lingered in Shen Yuyao's mind.
At the same time, she secretly felt regretful in her heart.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince traveled east, west and north for the sake of the Great Xia Dynasty. He was deeply aware of the sufferings of the people and had always been a kind-hearted and benevolent person in the hearts of the people. He was also the rightful heir to the throne of the Great Xia Dynasty.
In the court, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was deeply loved by all civil and military officials because he always spoke up for officials in the face of the emperor's tyranny.
Now, with his sudden death, everyone can imagine that there will be a bloody storm in Kyoto, and no one will be able to escape unscathed.
Shen Yuyao fell into deep thought...
Xia Xiaoxian on this side was also shocked when she heard the news of the Crown Prince's death.
[There are still five years left, why is it suddenly brought forward? ]
[Could it be that there is something wrong with the records in the "Three Lives Book"? ]
[Impossible! The Three Lives Book might change due to leaks of secrets, but it will definitely not be wrong!]
[Perhaps due to some special reason, the whole incident went awry? For example... a time traveler like Xu Yunxuan.]
What if they act rashly because they know the outcome, trying to change the outcome of the entire incident?
[Although the ending may not necessarily change, it is very likely that some details of the incident will be different.]
[However, regardless, now that the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty has passed away, all those connected to the throne will be shed in blood...]
【......】
"Mother, a great change is coming, and the safety of the entire Ning Wang Mansion is the most important thing." Xia Xiaoxian met Shen Yuyao's gaze.
As they grow older, the mother and daughter are becoming more and more alike.
There is almost no big difference between the two people's thoughts and ideas.
"Xiaoxian, call your brothers and sisters to the front hall. Then explain the current situation to them in detail."
"As members of the royal family, they all have to learn how to adapt to major changes in the palace."
"As for how much each of them can learn from this, it depends on their own luck."
Shen Yuyao said softly, "Also, we need to add one more rule to the mansion's rules: No one is allowed to leave the mansion without permission unless it is absolutely necessary!"
After a pause, she murmured to herself, "Right here in Luyuan, waiting for the imperial edict!"
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